Beat the odds: Don’t focus on your major, focus on skills

A recent ‘Career Transitions’ post by Katharine Brooks, Wake Forest’s executive director of personal and career development, was named an essential read by Psychology Today. The article explains why there is no one major that leads to guaranteed post-graduation career success.

“The major isn’t the only deciding factor in a successful job search,” writes Brooks. “There are way too many other variables, such as interviewing skills, motivation, grades, experience, emotional intelligence, social skills, etc. Bottom line: employers hire a package of skills, not a specific major. So let’s get away from this concept of the ‘major’ and its so-called centrality in the job search. Let’s focus on the connections between the major and other courses the students take.…Because, in the job world, there are no guarantees. It’s complex, and outside factors (like a poor economy) can intervene. But by focusing on all of these issues rather than just the major, a student has a much better chance of succeeding in the job market. I would take those odds.”